The start of a new Golden era?

Last Friday, after a night of Dippering on the Upper Clun, Sarah, Vince and I had a quick run up to the hills along the Ceri Ridgeway to see if any Golden Plovers had arrived back yet. It was a bit misty but sure enough, shortly after walking into the fields, a few Goldies started lifting in front of us. There weren't great numbers yet but five birds were caught and colour-ringed. 

Hopefully the first of many!

Last year Paul and I managed to ring nearly 300 between us and this winter's colour-ringing has once again been grant-aided by the Ecology Matters Trust so we are hoping to get a good number done again.

Two recoveries of birds ringed in previous winters have just been received from BTO HQ.

Firstly a bird ringed on 23rd January 2012 was killed by a predatory bird at Hunterson Power Station in West Kilbride, North Ayreshire on 25th September 2013 (379 kms NNW) and a  bird ringed on 21st November 2012 was shot just 10 days later in Camelford,  Cornwall (230 kms SSW).

Green marker is the ringing location for both birds, red markers are the recovery locations

This last recovery highlights the insanity of allowing Golden Plovers to remain a legal quarry species when at the same time they are Amber listed under' Birds of Conservation Concern' !

Frustratingly, one of our colour-ringed birds was also seen on breeding grounds in Finland this summer but the observer failed to get the engraved code so we'll never know exactly which one it was!